Vulnerable Populations Paper
Vulnerable Populations: Homelessness
BSHS 302
As far back as the fourteenth century, homelessness was only an issue for those who could help it. The church in these times was able to take care of the deserving poor and make sure that they were not on the streets. At this time the homeless people included those who wandered, such as men who were migrating workers; they made up most of the homeless population at this time. The undeserving poor were sometimes forced to work in work camps and work long hours for very little pay, many of these actions stripped the individual of their self dignity and even the deserving poor were forced to wear badges that singled them out from the rest at times (Martin, 2007). As the years passed, many of the homeless population consisted of men, vagrants, miners or men doing seasonal work. It wasn’t until the Great Depression that families in their entirety were becoming homeless. Around this time was when the government started to let some of the harsher laws go because there were so many homeless people. In this day and age, it seems less likely for someone to be homeless, but this is not the way it actually is. Homelessness is still apart of some peoples every day life. There has always been and always will be homeless persons. Why though? Homeless can be defined as someone who does not have a regular place of dwelling or a permanent address for example. Homelessness is increasing in the United States, people who have children are in the streets and in some shelters there is no room and people are being turned away to sleep in the cold brutal streets. Homelessness began to increase between 1970 and 1980 due to a decrease in affordable housing and an increase in poverty (Martin, 2007). In order to determine who exactly is homeless we need to use critical thinking skills to do so. The government seems to think that this is the definition of homeless: An individual who lacks a fix, regular, and adequate
BSHS 302
As far back as the fourteenth century, homelessness was only an issue for those who could help it. The church in these times was able to take care of the deserving poor and make sure that they were not on the streets. At this time the homeless people included those who wandered, such as men who were migrating workers; they made up most of the homeless population at this time. The undeserving poor were sometimes forced to work in work camps and work long hours for very little pay, many of these actions stripped the individual of their self dignity and even the deserving poor were forced to wear badges that singled them out from the rest at times (Martin, 2007). As the years passed, many of the homeless population consisted of men, vagrants, miners or men doing seasonal work. It wasn’t until the Great Depression that families in their entirety were becoming homeless. Around this time was when the government started to let some of the harsher laws go because there were so many homeless people. In this day and age, it seems less likely for someone to be homeless, but this is not the way it actually is. Homelessness is still apart of some peoples every day life. There has always been and always will be homeless persons. Why though? Homeless can be defined as someone who does not have a regular place of dwelling or a permanent address for example. Homelessness is increasing in the United States, people who have children are in the streets and in some shelters there is no room and people are being turned away to sleep in the cold brutal streets. Homelessness began to increase between 1970 and 1980 due to a decrease in affordable housing and an increase in poverty (Martin, 2007). In order to determine who exactly is homeless we need to use critical thinking skills to do so. The government seems to think that this is the definition of homeless: An individual who lacks a fix, regular, and adequate
References: Martin, M. ( 2007) Homelessness. Introduction to Human Services: Through the Eyes of Practice Settings. Allyn & Bacon Inc. A Pearson Education Company.